General Gaming D1P's games of the decade

[ShreddieMercury]

With lots of decade-in-review lists and articles going around recently, I thought it would be fun to see what people's favorite (and least favorite) games of this decade are.  I'm finding it difficult to compile a list, and I'm certain that I'll think of things after the fact that I'd like to include, but off the top of my head here are my favorite games in no particular order:

 

Super Mario Galaxy 2

Portal 2

Wolfenstein: The New Order

Until Dawn

Mario Kart 8

Prey

Hitman

Breath of the Wild

Outer Wilds

Device 6

 

As an aside, I remember joining Bad Cartridge in 2011, so this decade has partially been defined by discussing games with you all!

[XxEvil AshxX]

Ugh.. trying to remember everything I've played in a decade is impossible.

 

What's crazy is that I started my video game blog in 2010 and was writing about all this stuff, but at one point I tried to migrate the database from one host to another and it didn't go well and I lost everything. Man, I'd love to have had a full decade's worth of my own useless videogame bullshit to dig through.

[Paperclyp]

No order (please don't make me order them): 

 

DOOM  - best FPS campaign ever IMO

Skyrim - consumed me. I know it's a cliche game to have on your list but I love, love, love Skyrim, would probably be my #1 of the decade. 

Dark Souls - TBH I should probably have 2 here, as it's the one that clicked with me and made me love the From titles. But DS is the better game. 

Witcher 3 - Still don't love the combat and I have some major issues with it, but the story telling was really incredible and upped what we should expect from the genre 

Grand Theft Auto 5 - Seems to be somewhat disliked now, but I played through it twice and loved it

Diablo 3 - Initially didn't like it, but once it got its hooks in me, my god. 

Metal Gear Solid 5 - Such a flawed game, but what a joy to play, and I actually liked what story was there. 

The Last of Us - the ending floored me. Like the gameplay a lot more than most people do. 

Fallout NV - I almost put 4 on here instead, I'm one of an apparently very few who liked 4, but NV has vastly superior writing. 

PUBG - First game in forever that became my play every chance I can with a buddy game. The most fun I've ever had with a multiplayer game. Intense, memorable battles.

 

Honorable mention: 

 

Portal 2 

Bloodborne

Super Meat Boy

BioShock Infinite 

 

And I'm sure I've forgotten a game or two, but I'll stick to this list for now. 

 

 

[Keyser_Soze]

DOTA 2

 

Put it on there hehehe

 

[crispy4000]

2 hours ago, ShreddieMercuryRising said:

Super Mario Galaxy 2

The game of the decade for me.

Guacamelee - One of the few indie Metroidvania's I'd consider a true classic.  Feels like a Treasure game.  And the humor is surprisingly on point.

Project M - Even with SSB Ultimate, I think this is the best Smash Bros game in existence.  It still plays the best.
Xenoblade - The best JRPG since the PSX era IMO.  It's the sort of experience that reminded me why I enjoy games in the first place.
Life is Strange - I don't resonate much with the characters, but it goes places I won't forget.
Skyward Sword - Also unforgettable, but for the puzzles and bosses, which could rank as best in the series.
Slay the Spire - Digital crack.  I'm going to relapse at some point, I just know it.

 

 I feel like there's still tons I haven't played, but these would be hard to top for me.

[Nokt]

Just a quick list. Obviously my own tastes. I might come back and edit later.

 

Mario Odyssey - Best 3D Platformer - Runner up: A Hat in TIme

Celeste - Best 2D Platformer

Destiny 2 - Best Multiplayer

Doom - Best FPS

Nier Automata - Best Action - Runner up: Zelda BotW

Metro 2033 - Best Survival/Horror - Runner up: Resident Evil 2 Remake

Ori and the Blind Forest - Best Metroidvania

Hellbade - Best Atmosphere

Pokemon GO - Best Mobile

Divinity 2 - Best CRPG

Journey - Best Walking Simulator - Runner up: Firewatch

Undertale - Best Indie

Portal 2 - Best Puzzle Solving

[Remarkableriots]

Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn 

Batman: Arkham City

Batman: Arkham Knight

God Of War

Spider-Man

Mad Max

 GTA V

Ratchet & Clank

Diablo 3

Super Mario 3D World 

Days Gone

Assassin's Creed Origins

 

 

[Mercury33]

I love the idea of this thread but Jesus this is gonna take me some time to sit down  and remember all the games haha

[Brian]

Nintendo Switch with BOTW - runaway success hardware with one of the great Zelda games.  Gives Nintendo a much needed success after the Wii U bust. 

The Coalition’s Gears of War and 343i’s Halo - the transition to new developers for two of the biggest Microsoft’s IP has not worked out this decade. 
 

Ubisoft’s open world formula - it has become the de facto template for open world games. 

 

GTA V’s decade of dominance with 115 million copies sold and counting - From getting multiple GTAs in a generation to none this last one, online has forever changed GTA. 
 

Rise of Twitch/Fortnite - Yes Twitch was popular before Fortnite but the game definitely took it from a gaming platform to a mainstream platform.  For example, Ninja being invited to a New Years telecast to floss.

 

Game Streaming/Subscription Arms Race - this being a late development this decade, it is clearly going to define the next. Sony and Microsoft are loading up with studio acquisition as Apple and Google enter the market space. With stagnation in the high end CPU/GPU market, it will be interesting to see where local hardware goes. 

[5timechamp]

GTA V.... a game i dont often consider but i can attest to buying it on 2 platforms and playing through story mode 4 X (no online time)

 

Arkham City, Origins, Knight... as a batman fan it was a virtual feast. each game has something the other falters on (Release of Knight is the date i got an Xbone)..i want another just to see what other ideas theyd add to the predator gameplay

 

BOTW

 

Kart 8.. best kart ever, best balance of characters track and weapons

 

Ghost Recon Future Soldier/ Wildlands... its the franchise im slaved to.. thankfully the entries didnt disappoint

 

Mario Maker... “classic mario” for the new generation.. those pixels will live forever!!

 

Forza Horizon 3/4... its car racing that devours my time

 

Ass Creed Black Flag... best pirate game ever, a Ubi collect-athon where i didnt mind doing everything

 

Link Between Worlds... link to the past-ish goodness...

 

Advance Wars... Oops nevermind, there wasnt one.. Eat Shit Nintendo

 

Super Mario 3D land

 

 

biggest regret... not being a PS player and missing out on Spider-man

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[skillzdadirecta]

Since 2010? Hmmmm In No particular order.

 

Skyrim- Despite the canned animations and clunky combat, the world this game take place in is AMAZING and engrossing and despite several playthroughs, I don't feel like I've seen everything. It's one of a few games I've bought more than once.

 

GTAV- Another game I've bought repeatedly... Twice on consoles and once on P.C. Three characters that you can switch between at any moment and a highly addictive online mode, playing this game is like playing through a season of a cable TV show. The only complaint I have about this game is that I want more of it.

 

Mass Effect 2- One of my favorite games all time and one of the few games I've gotten every achievement for and one that I enjoy replaying every once in awhile, I remember being somewhat disappointed  when it first came out due to some of the changes. The game eventually grew on me enough  that it eventually surpassed my love for the first game. Makes what happened to Bioware even more tragic.

 

The Witcher 3-  Best open world RPG to date with choices that change the narrative, a beautiful open world and great characters this game is basically a Witcher simulator. I have to really force myself not to start up another run.

 

Destiny- Despite some missteps from Bungie I can't deny how much fun I had with this game and how it basically was part of my daily routine for damn near two years. Like I used to plan my day around this game.

 

PUBG- I love the premise of the battle royal genre and PUBG has the right combination of gameplay and an aesthetic that appeals to me. I prefer more realistic scenarios in these types of games than the more cartoony settings of Fortnite. I still fire this game up on occasion. It's also a game that I've bought more than once on more than one platform.

 

Spiderman- Like playing an arc from the comic Spiderman is a Spiderman simulator. They nailed everything great about the character and wrapped it up in a story that rivals some of the comcis and movies.

 

Batman Arkham City-  I love ALL of the Arkham Games but if I had to pick one, it would be Arkham City. Perfect Batman simulator that has me eagerly awaiting the next installment.  

 

This is in no way a complete list.

 

[AbsolutSurgen]

So many games I haven't played, so this is an "incomplete sampling", and the order isn't pefect:

1)  Forza Horizon 4 (I would probably start this list with all 4 games)

2)  Mass Effect 2

3)  Red Dead Redemption

4) Horizon: Zero Dawn

5) Portal 2

6)  The Last of Us

7)  God of War

8) Rise of the Tomb Raider
9) Destiny

10) Doom 2016

11)  Farcry 3/4

12) Assassin's Creed Black Flag

13)  Forza Motorsports 6/7

 

I probably would have GTAV, MGSV, Spider-Man, RDR2  and Witcher 3 on this list if I'd played enough of them to form a proper opinion

 

[gamer.tv]

So this was a lot harder than it had any right to be and I feel that I will return back to this list in a few days and edit it. However, I've chosen 7 games, with a number of "could have been on the list, but weren't quite there.

 

Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii)

It's been 8 years, but I still haven't played a more fun game on any console. For me, it's about as close to being the perfect game (I say based on memory, not after playing recently). 

 

Portal 2 (Xbox 360)

The writing and the design are just incredible. 

 

Mario Kart 8 (Wii U)

An odd choice for some (possibly) but a lot of my favourite gaming moments are shared ones. I played this over a winter with my now wife, pretty much every day and it's such a nice memory.

 

Until Dawn (PS4)

For the reasons above.

 

Ocarina of Time 3D (3DS)

Definitely cheating, but I never did finish OoT on the N64 and the three or so weeks I dedicated my free time to this was wonderful and worth while. 

 

Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds

This falls very much in line with Super Mario Galaxy 2. An incredibly well designed game that has perfect pacing and gameplay. 

 

Journey (PS4)

For me, the most important game of the last decade. I played it, I think in about 2016, when I was moving away from gaming as a hobby (I hadn't picked up anything for maybe 8 months prior). This came along and gave me back that love of the medium. 

 

The rest below, either were games that I loved,played a huge or have some sort of nostalgic memory for (I'm sure you can see, I love playing horror games with an audience, hence the inclusion of a few). 

 

Batman: Arkham Asylum (Xbox 360)

Rocket League (PS4)

Resident Evil 7 (PS4)

The Last of Us

Doom (PS4)

Dead Space 2

Skyrim

Red Dead Redemption

Mass Effect 2

[GameDadGrant]

9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors

SUPER Street Fighter IV
Tatsunoko vs Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars

Kid Icarus Uprising
Resident Evil Revelations

Monster Hunter 4 ULTIMATE 

Pokémon Moon

Animal Crossing: New Leaf

Shovel Knight

Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth

Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
 

Not a comprehensive list by any means, but these are a few that spring to mind.

[skillzdadirecta]

Oh I forgot to add Shadow of Morder/Shadow of War for the Nemesis system alone.

[SimpleG]

In no particular order

 

Battlefield 1

Tales From The Borderlands

The Witcher 3

Skyrim

The Wolf Among Us

Prey

Dishonored Series

Dying Light

GTAV

Mark Of The Ninja

FireWatch

Life Is Strange

Hotline Miami

The Walking Dead S1 S2

 

My number 1 game

Battlefield Bad Company 2

Somewhere around 2500 hours in MP

 

 

 

[Ghost_MH]

Any games of the decade list here that doesn't include Minecraft is wrong. Minecraft really deserves a place in the top games of all time, let alone in the last ten years. That, PUBG, and Pokemon Go should be on any list. I don't even like PUBG, but creating a whole new genre doesn't come around very often.

[AbsolutSurgen]

2 minutes ago, Ghost_MH said:

Any games of the decade list here that doesn't include Minecraft is wrong. Minecraft really deserves a place in the top games of all time, let alone in the last ten years. That, PUBG, and Pokemon Go should be on any list. I don't even like PUBG, but creating a whole new genre doesn't come around very often.

Why?  These lists are supposed to be of our favourite games.  Minecraft isn't my kind of game.

[GameDadGrant]

7 minutes ago, AbsolutSurgen said:

Why?  These lists are supposed to be of our favourite games.  Minecraft isn't my kind of game.

Same. Well, that game *could* be something up my alley, but I just haven't tried it yet. 

[Ghost_MH]

7 minutes ago, AbsolutSurgen said:

Why?  These lists are supposed to be of our favourite games.  Minecraft isn't my kind of game.

 

Eh...I didn't notice that this was everyone's favorite games of the last ten years. Whatever. I'm not sure I could come up with a list of ten for the last decade.

 

Ummm...

 

Minecraft, Pokemon Go, Undertale, Zelda BotW, Stardew Valley, Skyrim, Celeste? Is that ten. Nope. Two short. Let's top that off with Mario Maker and Oxenfree...Maybe. Why not?

[crispy4000]

1 hour ago, gamer.tv said:

 

Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii)

It's been 8 years, but I still haven't played a more fun game on any console. For me, it's about as close to being the perfect game (I say based on memory, not after playing recently). 

 

 

Preach it.  Only major flaw it has are those bird levels.  But they’re over quickly.

[Keyser_Soze]

2 hours ago, Ghost_MH said:

I don't even like PUBG, but creating a whole new genre doesn't come around very often.

 

So what you mean is H1Z1 should be on the list?

[Ghost_MH]

43 minutes ago, Keyser_Soze said:

 

So what you mean is H1Z1 should be on the list?

 

Ha! I completely forgot that game ever existed.

[Nokt]

13 hours ago, Keyser_Soze said:

 

So what you mean is H1Z1 should be on the list?

You mean minecraft hunger games

[Nokt]

18 hours ago, gamer.tv said:

Ocarina of Time 3D (3DS)

 

Definitely cheating, but I never did finish OoT on the N64 and the three or so weeks I dedicated my free time to this was wonderful and worth while.

 

Dead Space 2

Nah OoT3D isn't cheating. Its a worthy remaster of an amazing game. There a few flaws to be found which, at least in my experience, is a rare occurrence.

Completely forgot about Dead Space. I'm still sad about how that turned out.

17 hours ago, SimpleG said:

Prey

Hotline Miami

Totally forgot about these. For how much I preach how much I love Hotline Miami, I'm kind of shocked I forgot it

[Dodger]

Skyrim

dark souls

bloodborne

witcher 3

Doom

resogun

gta v

 

im blanking on anything else right now

[johnny]

Had to google to see what games came out this decade. Quick list:

 

Mass Effect 2 - Didn't play 1 before this, and I still think this game is amazing. Probably one of the games I've played the most. I'm dying for a ME remaster. 

Uncharted 3/4/The Lost Legacy - Im a slut for Naughty Dog 

The Last of Us - See above, also this is one of the best stories I've played through in a game. 

Bioshock Infinite - I think 1 and 2 are better but I love this franchise and being able to do Bioshock stuff is just so fun to me

Wolfenstein: The New Order - Some of the most fun I've had with a FPS until...

DOOM - One of the best FPS games I've ever played

The Witcher III - Really engrossing world. Legit knew nothing about The Witcher but it instantly grabbed me. I even like the gameplay which can sometimes be a pain in the ass 

Life is Strange - As far as I'm concerned the only game to do the telltale style and make a good game with it.

Hitman - So fun getting dropped into a level and having a ton of different ways to assassinate your targets

Horizon Zero Dawn - Extremely fun getting to fight machines and beat them in several different ways.

Spider-Man - Satisfying gameplay, one of my favorite characters

Celeste - Amazing platformer

God of War - I can't even put into words how amazing this game is

[Brian]

Arma 2 Mods - mods that were more popular than the game such as Day Z and BR. 

[atom631]

God of War

Skyrim

Battlefield 1

Uncharted 4

Mass Effect 2

The Witcher III

Destiny

Diablo 3

Skate 3

Red Dead Redemption

Hellblade

GTA V

Breath of the Wild

Tomb Raider remake

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided 

 

 

[Moa]

Life is Strange - The greatest work of art I've had the privilege to experience. Certainly a controversial opinion, but that game made me feel in ways no other game, movie, show, or book has and it has stuck with me.

 

DOOM - Made shooters fun again.

 

Celeste - Perfect platforming and a simple story well-told. While I'm not super good at this game, I appreciate that it has a ton of content to please the hardcore platforming audience, and the speed runs are incredible.

 

The Witcher 3 - I just really like how the trees blow in the wind.

 

Kentucky Route Zero - Assuming it is completed ever, within a decade of episode one's release, or within this decade. Act 5 when?

 

Hotline Miami - M U R D E R

 

Honorable mention:

What Remains of Edith Finch - Really stretches the definition of video game but a wonderful experience nonetheless.

 

[MeatAndPotatoes]

My 10 favorites:

 

GTA Online

Path Of Exile

Last Of Us Remastered

Counter Strike GO

Tekken 7

Resident Evil 7 (about to finally play re2 remake!)

Diablo 3

MLB The Show

Forza 7

DOOM

 

My biggest disappointments:

 

Gran Turismo Sport for ditching the motherfucking campaign mode :<

Outlast 2 is a horrible pile of shit compared to the original

Amnesia A machine for pigs = same fucking shit as outlast 2

Bioshock 2 doesn't hold a candle up to the first (still haven't played infinite)

Duke Nukem Forever

Crysis 2

FEAR 2 and 3

 

Games which I started but only played very small amounts of time in because other shit going on, not because I didn't like them:

 

Witcher 3

Skyrim

RDR 2

Uncharted 4

Until Dawn

Deus Ex HR

Killing Floor 1 & 2

 

I still have a pile of AAA games that i've never even played:

 

Max Payne 3

Bioshock Infinite

Bloodborne

Dark Souls 3

PUBG

Deus Ex MD

Walking Dead season 2

Rocket League

Far Cry 5

Shadow of Morder & War

Dead Space 1, 2 and 3

 

I've been meaning to play a Hitman game since the 90s seriously, but never have.

 

With all that said, I'm off to play Doom 2

[Nokt]

4 hours ago, MeatAndPotatoes said:

My biggest disappointments:

 

Bioshock 2 doesn't hold a candle up to the first (still haven't played infinite)

FEAR 2 and 3

Curious as to why you didn't enjoy FEAR 2. I think it holds up very well even if the plot is a bit wonky. The third is where the series really falls apart for me.

Bioshock 2 is still leagues better than Infinite from a gameplay perspective. Infinites ending is great, but worth the journey? I'd probably say no, I was bored to tears until I got to the end of the game.

4 hours ago, MeatAndPotatoes said:

I still have a pile of AAA games that i've never even played:

 

Shadow of Morder & War

Dead Space 1, 2 and 3

Highly recommend Dead Space 1 & 2.

3 shares the same fate that FEAR 3 does. A focus on co-op, bad pacing, and a loss of atmospheric horror.

[MeatAndPotatoes]

19 hours ago, Nokt said:

Curious as to why you didn't enjoy FEAR 2. I think it holds up very well even if the plot is a bit wonky. The third is where the series really falls apart for me.

 

You are absolutely right. FEAR 2 was a good game. Not sure what I was thinking. FEAR 3 was a huge letdown

[Emblazon]

For now, I just came in here to say FUCK MASS EFFECT 2. Fuck it hard.

• Shittier mechanics than the first game

• Like 5 main missions in the entire game

• Side quests have zero impact on the game 

• Completing character quests is only thing that dictates who lives or dies

• Game ends LITERALLY in the exact same position as the first game

 

EA fucking destroyed that series. ME2 is the biggest “filler” game in the history of gaming. 

[Moa]

23 minutes ago, Emblazon said:

For now, I just came in here to say FUCK MASS EFFECT 2. Fuck it hard.

• Shittier mechanics than the first game

• Like 5 main missions in the entire game

• Side quests have zero impact on the game 

• Completing character quests is only thing that dictates who lives or dies

• Game ends LITERALLY in the exact same position as the first game

 

EA fucking destroyed that series. ME2 is the biggest “filler” game in the history of gaming. 

Not to mention one note characters defined entirely by their quirks. This is obviously endemic in games writing but it always bothers me when ME2 is held as a high water mark for storytelling in games.